Our Journey So Far
Our story and mission: helping brands grow through innovative digital solutions
MediaSpan is a specialized digital media placement agency that connects international organizations—corporate brands, NGOs, and government institutions—with trusted and high-impact media outlets across Africa.
We provide seamless, targeted advertising solutions designed to help our clients reach African audiences with relevance, efficiency, and cultural sensitivity.
Founded in
2024
Headquarters
South Africa
Directors
2
Branches
Abuja
Our Visionary Leader
About the Founder
Media Consultant | CEO, Community Newspapers Initiative (CNI) | Founder & Editor, Coal City News | Founder, MediaSpan Africa | Community Development Advocate
Dr. Ambassador Lola Michelle Mashiane is a trailblazing South African media entrepreneur, highly regarded media consultant, and dedicated community development advocate. She is the Founder and CEO of Community Newspapers Initiative (CNI) Pty Ltd, the first and largest Black woman-led group of community newspapers in South Africa, and a visionary leader in transforming grassroots media across the African continent.
Founded in 2013, CNI has grown to include over 350 community newspapers distributed across South Africa’s Black townships and rural communities—making it the largest independent community media group in the region. CNI was created with a mission to democratize access to news and information, uplift community voices, and create a sustainable media economy in historically excluded areas.
HiTech Community Newspapers is not only a media breakthrough—it is an economic empowerment engine. The project is set to create over 400 jobs in Abuja, providing opportunities in journalism, distribution, design, community outreach, and advertising. It represents a new chapter in Pan-African media development, rooted in sustainability, job creation, and inclusive storytelling.
Additionally, Dr. Mashiane is the founder of MediaSpan Africa, a Pan-African digital media placement agency that connects international brands, NGOs, and government institutions with reliable and trusted African media outlets. With a growing network of 700 digital platforms and 300 print publications across more than 15 African countries, MediaSpan is helping to professionalize and monetize African media while offering global partners a credible communication gateway into the continent.
Dr. Mashiane’s influence and innovation have earned her multiple honors, including:
• Best Young Entrepreneur – eMalahleni Mayoral Awards (2008)
• Business Woman of the Year – eMalahleni Mayoral Awards (2014)
• Advisory Board Member, State-Owned Entities Communicators Association (2016–2019)
• Task Team Member, appointed by the former Minister of Communications (2017)
• RAIZCORP Business Programme Alumna (2013)
As a Pan-African media leader, Dr. Ambassador Lola Michelle Mashiane continues to shape the media landscape—from South African townships to the streets of Abuja, ensuring that African stories are told, communities are heard, and economic opportunities are created.
Leading from the front
Our Leaders
We’re 2+ individuals from South Africa driven by bold ideas
Michelle Mashiane
CEO & Founder
Our Service Offering
What We Do
Ms. Lola Michelle Mashiane (Mrs Senbanjo), is an entrepreneur who launched a eMalahleni based publication in 2003 that is now operating in its 22nd year of success. The founder and owner of Coal City News who is the first black female owned newspaper publisher in the city of coal was born and raised in Witbank, eMalahleni Mpumalanga province of South Africa and completed her tertiary education at Nkangala FET College where she got her Diploma in Business Management.
Following her calling of making a difference in Media, Michelle decided to do what she was always passionate about, Publishing. With no funds and only a dream she started a newspaper in her hometown eMalahleni going door to door attracting advertisers to buy in her dream by placing adverts.
Making CNI the fastest growing independent Media group in the history of Southern Africa. The group comprises of over 200 publications which are distributed throughout the country reaching over 20 000 000 readers per edition collectively. The publications are specifically distributed around Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KZN, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Estern Cape, Free State, Limpopo province and still growing. Mashiane is the first black woman to drive such an initiative in the history of South Africa.
In 2024 yet another bigger vision was to bring together the countries of Africa through community media, a digital placement Agency was launched MediaSpan is a specialized digital media placement agency that connects international organizations—corporate brands, NGOs, and government institutions—with trusted and high-impact media outlets across Africa.
MediaSpan currently boasts of over 700 digital news website database and about 300 print publications and still growing from over 10 Africa countries and still growing such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, eSwatini, Madagascar,
Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Uganda and Colombia, communicating to international organisations who are looking for platform of advertising and communication placements in Africa, helping digital & print publications in Africa to be sustainable while information is disbursed fairly and professionally.
Creating a podium and positioning Africa to be the number one stop as a platform for the world to source accurate international news and information. Mashiane’s first initiative “Coal City news” was voted the best company ran by young people at the eMalahleni Mayor’s Awards, which took place in Witbank on the 29th of November 2008, the award, was handed to the founder Michelle Mashiane as the “Best young Entrepreneur”. Mashiane once again took the title of the “Business Woman of the year” at the eMalahleni Mayoral Awards 2014. She also set on the advisory board of The State Owned Entities Communicators Association between 2016-2019, while she also served as part of the task team for the former Minister of communication Ms. Faith Muthambi in 2017. Mashiane aquired an Alumni status with RAIZCORP business programme in 2013.
Driven by Passion
Who We Are
Your Trusted Gateway to African Audiences
At MediaSpan, we specialize in connecting international brands, NGOs, and governmental organizations with Africa’s most trusted digital media platforms. We don’t just place ads—we build culturally intelligent campaigns that speak to local audiences, drive engagement, and deliver measurable results.
Driven by Passion
What Sets Us Apart
- Pan-African Reach: Access to urban and rural markets in 20+ African countries.
- Publisher Partnerships: Trusted relationships with vetted digital publishers.
- End-to-End Support: Media planning, creative adaptation, placement, and reporting.
- Multilingual & Multicultural: Deep cultural insight for authentic engagement.
Join Our Journey
Our team is growing
Flexible Work
Thrive in a hybrid environment designed around your life and the continent’s rhythm—with remote flexibility and collaborative hub spaces across Africa.
Career Growth
Accelerate your expertise through mentorship, pan-African project exposure, and a dedicated learning pathway for industry leadership.
Growth Benefits
Enjoy competitive and thoughtfully crafted packages—from health coverage to wellness stipends—that honor your well-being and local context.
MEDIA BUYING
Solutions
Ad-placement agency for global corporate needs
Innovative minds delivering branding, storytelling, and content.
Innovative ad-placement that our clients trust!
